The old topic was 24 pages, Please...do not nerf BAs.

[KingLeerUK]

If you're going to stip BA of all their weapons, Have the VTOL transports act as flying spawn points. Then the BA can jump out of the transport and land right in the thick of it. The VTOL pilot can be rewarded by getting credit for everyone who spawns at it.

I do see this as a bit tricky to implement as it sort of "works around" the idea of the dedicated BA role equipping themselves in the hangar.  Perhaps there could be a "tiered" availability of upgrades and weapons purchases based on the type of vehicle being used to spawn in.  For example, the APC (relatively small) might have the current base level weapon options for BA spawning in, and the heavy VTOL transports (Karnov, Anhur) would have a more robust collection, with the 'Mech hangar proper having the full gamut of upgrades and weaponry available.  Having this sort of difference would allow BA to perhaps "get out on the field" quicker by spawning in an APC/VTOL at the opportunity cost of a more limited selection of weapons/equipment.

Sounds strategic, no?  


To all of you guys, I appreciate the rousing chorus of approval of my ideas, and I am doing my best to bend the right ears and promote my ideas to the right people.  Your consensus of opinion only helps me in this effort.  So, I say to you, "thank you!"

[=KoS= Eldragon]

...
Sounds strategic, no?  

That would work. I guess it really depends if letting people jump out of a transport fully armed is unbalancing or not. In the early game it might be, and it cannot be implemented until all bases have defense systems to prevent spawn-camping

I would be more concerned it would be a giant "shoot-me sign" and no one wants to fly one.

[KingLeerUK]

From personal experience, I can tell you that the transport VTOLs are both very slow and did tend to attract all sorts of aerospace attention when in the air.  As such, I'd think they would have to be some tough 'mothers able to soak up damage and still remain flying to remain useful but at the same time be relatively unarmed so as to not make them flying juggernauts of doom.

[Mekabuser=12thVR=]

+1 for wanting to see leer's stuff implemented.

Implement that, fix the lag, release the planetary assault gamemode, game is the best mech game ever.

Agreed times eleventy. I realise lag is largely out of the teams hands though.

@Mekabuser - should I have to take a mech with MGs/ACs every single time because i know for certain ill be facing a BA when i defeat a mech? This is what I end up doing at the moment and i dont like it. If leers stuff is implemented, ill at least be able to use the large handful of mechs/vehicles i avoid at the moment. It will still be a risk that ill face 1 or more BA, but not a certainty.

for certain? I dont get it, Theres another thread with a guy saying theres no mechs on the field, and seemingly all these players who get involved in duels mech on mech in a combined arms game. Furthermore , they say everyone ejects. Thats alll very strange because its not what ive seen . Ive seen one guy eject and thats fine , bec if u dont equip for BA, then u deserve to be hunted down by them . THeres gonna be people who play BA all the time bec they are FUN, so DONT take mg etc, or learn how to chain fire at ur risk . Seriously, mechs out run and outgun ba so what is everyone so upset about ? If someone bails on ur "DUEL" then blow the crap out of the abandoned mech and either engage the ba or get out of dodge. Thats it, simple.
I really dont care any way u slice it bec the options available in the mod are endless, but it seems like a lotta crying.
I will say kudos to those who ENJOY it when the other guy ejects and then they themselves get out and duke it out ba v ba.
That gets a ~~S~~

[Arghy]

I'd also allow them to land because i guarantee a giant VTOL will attract everyones fire--hawkmoths already do to some degree so i couldent imagine something bigger and slower. I think the battle claw will also speed up their deployment speed as i already tend to hang around the mech bay in flat topped mechs to allow them to hitch a ride.

get out of dodge

Easier said then done as even an uller with MASC on a straight away couldent get away from the BA pilot before he managed to cripple my leg.

[direwolf]

Leave the BA as they are.  Just allow them to get missile locked by SRMs.

[Felix]

Leave the BA as they are.  Just allow them to get missile locked by SRMs.

That would be annoying, and the time it takes to get a missile lock they would easily dodge or break the lock

[Arghy]

Meh i've killed them with dumb fire SRM's before and even managed to shoot my LRM's into a rockface as one jumped over me, your better off with dumb fire SRM's.

[Thoman Coston]

Wanna solve the issue?

Remove the eject command 

That way, you can be a BA, or a tank or a mech or whatever. Once youre in, youre in.

+1 for this idea.

I actually like this idea very, very much!

Yes , I agree fully. Disabling eject is the best solution : simple, no non sense and effective.

[Draks]

I rather like ejecting just not ejecting as a BA but if they were reduced to just having the starting laser I'd be fine with it.  I just don't like a BA jumping out of the heavy mech I put so much effort into destroying, and he is fully armed with a ppc and 8 sticky bombs to put on your face. It really feels like it just nullifies your deserved victory when you have to bail seconds later to battle him yet again... but this time in a BA when you should of kept your mech as the victor.

[NSallaNuto]

I would not modify BAs, what about give some weapons a larger splash area ?

[Arghy]

Or give overheating mechs a fire damage aura like the flames in crysis haha enjoy riding my overheating mech as i try to hose you down! also i just remembered that if i overheat my mech it can go critical so when i'm getting slaughtered by multiple BA's i've started overriding and blowing myself up DIE DIE DIE DIE!

[Shakes]

for certain? I dont get it, Theres another thread with a guy saying theres no mechs on the field, and seemingly all these players who get involved in duels mech on mech in a combined arms game. Furthermore , they say everyone ejects. Thats alll very strange because its not what ive seen . Ive seen one guy eject and thats fine , bec if u dont equip for BA, then u deserve to be hunted down by them . THeres gonna be people who play BA all the time bec they are FUN, so DONT take mg etc, or learn how to chain fire at ur risk . Seriously, mechs out run and outgun ba so what is everyone so upset about ? If someone bails on ur "DUEL" then blow the crap out of the abandoned mech and either engage the ba or get out of dodge. Thats it, simple.
I really dont care any way u slice it bec the options available in the mod are endless, but it seems like a lotta crying.
I will say kudos to those who ENJOY it when the other guy ejects and then they themselves get out and duke it out ba v ba.
That gets a ~~S~~

Mekabuser - i know how to take out BA provided lag isnt horrible, and can usually do it except in the case of particularly good BA who usually know when its time to run away if theyre nowhere near finishing me.

If I bring out a mech thats mostly defenceless against BA thats fine - its my risk. If there were only dedicated BA out there its a risk I would take more often. But if I take out a couple of enemy mechs but they severly weaken mine down to red/black in a danger spot (ie could go at any time), I obviously wont be able to limp off to base to repair - theyll eject and use their PPC/SRM/AC to finish me. A second bite of the apple. Having your cake and eating it too. Call it what you want but it just feels cheap, not like a sim and more like an esport to me and a large percentage of the player base, and it will 'any way you slice it'. Perhaps you have different gaming history and ideals, but I prefer a more natural playing, balanced feel to my games (especially mech ones!) than ultral33tst00p0rfr@gf3st style. If I want that Ill go play Quake 3 CPMA or something.

Im thankful to know at least some of the devs see it this way too and are actively promoting their views.  ;p

[=KH=Dimachaerus]

As I've said before, I'd be absolutely ecstatic at more choice in BA types...

IE: Golem, Kanazuchi, Purifier, Gray death, Salamander, etc...

Maybe work in the types for ranking up as a BA in a game, like you start with the base suit, and after a while earning points, can say, break out a Kanazuchi.

[Stalker]

Have deaths count against a player in rank progression and C-Bills (in a minor but cummulative way)

This is the wrong way to go I feel, it puts the below average players (and 50% of them are below average be deffinition) in an even worse position of not only having a hard time working their way up the technology ladder but in actually being penalised for their inability to use it very well.  If anything the worse players need help to advance, not barriers.

Have dropped weapons from killed BA persist on the battlefield longer to let you swap/pick them up

Allow for BA weapon and equipment upgrades (at appropriate C-Bill expense) for the player who chooses to play the role of a standalone BA.  Ideas here: enhanced radar, manpack Gauss, enhanced JJ, enhanced armour (at mobility cost unless offset by JJ improvements).  Basically: a 'Mechlab for BA loadouts as you can afford them.

It feels to me a lot like Crysis with mechs in it at the moment because the FPS elements are so prominant and the mechs really feel like the supporting cast.  I'd like to see mechs be the primary combat platform and the other arms providing support as would be natural given they are the most powerful combat machines in existence, not all the FPS stuff taking the lead with the odd mech in support.  The BA should operate true to it's capabilities of stealth and reconnaissance and have equipment suiting it's characteristics, it isn't supposed to be a substitute for a mech in all but name.